The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1887-12-08
A RINGING ANSWER
FROM AMERICAN WOOL anowEns
To the Ptosidenps Attack upon their Indus.
try-Tho Falsity OF his Premises and
unsounduess OF his Conclusions
shown-The Spirit OF his Essay.

"AsalSoloNi A.O's beC. fs-At tO'QRy
session Of the conference OF wool grower
and wool dealers Of the United States
called by the President Of the Na!iona
Association Of Wool Growers, the follow
Ing was unanimously adopted:
The wool deaisru and wool growers o
the United States, representing o capita
Of over i've hundred millions OF dollars
and constituency Of million WOO
growers and wool dealers, assembled In
conference in the city Of Washington, the
7th day Of December, 1887, having read
the 6rst annual message Of the President
tothe Flftieth Congress, declare that the
sentiments Of the message are direct at.
tack upon their industry, one Of the most
important Of the country, and In positive
violation OF the National Democratic
platform Of 1884, as Interpreted by the
party leaders, and accepted by the rank
and file Of the party; that the argument
made by the Presiden! for the removal
oil our protection against foreign competi-
ton is tho, old one, repeatedly made by
the onemiea OF our industrial progress,
and effectively answered In nearly every
school district oil our land, and 80 thor.
oughly dlsapproved by the logic OF facts
and demonstration Of experience and his.
tory as to need no answer from US. We
acknowledge that our "smell holdings, I"
our scattered and unorganized condition,
make uS the prey ol the free trader, but
we had right TO expect something diff.
ferent from the Ohisi Executive OF the
nation at once the moot happy, prosperous
and cun,en,ed OF any OF the world, made
SO by policy OF protection and develop.
ment which he now seeks to destroy.
We had right to expect our President
would lavor the wool growers Of the
United States, and we confess our deep
disappointment thst instead, he favors the
interests OF our foreign competitors.
Justly alarmed at hiB position, we make
an appeal from his recommendation to
the people, to all the people, to the seven
and three.iourths millions Of our fellow
cltixsna engaged in agriculture, to the mil
lions engsged in manufacturing, to tho
army of wage earners, whose wages are
LunaAkelhoN W tuo plCltCtlNo by6LouI, "
the tradssmen and merchants whose pros.
perity depends upon ours, confident that
the judgment and decision will be based
upon Justice and patriotism, and there.
lore for the maintsinnarcs OF the American
policy Of protection to which the country
,s indebted for ita unexamp!ed develop.
ment aad prosperity.
To demonstrate the injustice of the
Presidents policy, and the fallacy Of the
remedy he proposes for tho reduction OF
the surplus, We point 10 the fact that if
the whols amount OF the revenue derived
from wool wan abolished 1t would reduce
the surplus only about five million dollars,
or less than ten cents per capita Of the
population, which 10 paid by foreigners,
while the old war ta1as he recommends
retained yield over one hundred and
ninetcenm million dollars and area direct tax
per capita of two dollara each, and what
makes up the great bulk of the nurplus OF
one hundred and forty million dollars, and
which fosters most dangerous monopoly.
We would further add the following
Statistics in regard to the wool industry:
The annual revenue derived from i'm.
ports OF wool under tho tariff OF 1857
was less than $l,7OO,OOO. Under the re-.
duced tariff Of 's3, the revenue last year
was over Eve millions.
The number of aheeo in the country in
'S4, was 50,626. GIG; in 'S7, 44,759,3l4, a
decrease Of nearly six millions, and di.
minn,ion OF the annual wool product OF
over So 900. 600 pounds, thus showing that
reducing the tariff by the act Of 's3 has in.
creased the revenue from imported woods
and dicninished tho number of sheep in
the United States about u per cent, and
the annual product in the same proper.
ton. ,-l H.
The Pfesident's policy would bring
about the destruction OF this industry,
and the same policy Of reduction or aboli.
ton Of tho tariff would end in disaster to
all other industrial productive enterprises
of the country.